Volunteering Opportunities

Bolivian projectOur Vision
To create new cycles of hope for neglected children of Bolivia.
Our Mission
To see hope, healing and dignity flourish in Bolivian children, values that they will multiply into society through the establishment of self-sustaining and scalable models of care.

News/Articles

Pass the Books. Hold the Oil

New York Times coloumn today http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/opinion/sunday/friedman-pass-the-books-hold-the-oil.html?_r=1&hp
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: March 10, 2012
EVERY so often someone asks me: “What’s your favorite country, other than your own?”
I’ve always had the same answer: Taiwan. “Taiwan? Why Taiwan?” people ask.

A Call for Help

A friend asked my advice the other day about which medical alert pendant would be the best for her aunt, a plucky woman in her 80s who lives alone, tends ably to most of her own needs, takes daily walks, still enjoys the cultural riches of New York City and travels solo to visit relatives clear across the country. But lately she is less steady on her feet, at risk for falls and needs the security of being able to summon help even if she can’t get to the telephone.
To read more go to http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/22/a-call-for-help/?scp=7&sq=elder%20care&st=cse

ONTARIO BRACES FOR A GREY WAVE; The Star

This is an article published in The Star
http://www.thestar.com/Atkinson2008/article/532921

Events

Summer in University of Iowa

In Indain Scholars Program, the students (any number between 20-60 for summer 2012) from India will attend the summer gifted program from July 7-21 (summer 2012).

Transition Seminars

Transitions: Developing a Global Mindset
Navigating the Academic, Social and Cultural Environment as an International Student
By Dan Sheffield
Next dates (Live times 10.30 PM EST)
April 14
May 19
June 16

Sir Issac Newton Physics Exam

May 13th. Registration last date March 30th

Maths contests

University of Waterloo Maths contests April last week

FUSION CONCERT 2009

For Spring Break we plan a Jazz-Indian Classical fusion music by local teen bands at Stair Case theater, Hamilton.

POSTER EXHIBITION

December 5th 2008 Conversations organized a poster exhibition at Westdale High School.

04/26/2015

03/06/2012

Last few weeks I have been travelling and meeting with academicians, students and parents, from around the world. Global education has been one common topic, almost always.

I agree, the Universities have always had roles that transcend their national boundaries. Students and scholars have always been "mobile". International research collaboration has always flourished.Scientific communities have always been global. But all of this happened without any need for managerial-bureaucratic initiatives to "internationalize" the system.

What is happening now?

This weekend, on my way back from University of Iowa, my wife and I played a game to kill the boredom of the 12 hours of drive across four states and one ‘international’ border.

The game was simple; to note down names of universitiesand schools on the highway which had the word ‘global’ or ‘international’ on them,the person who notes down most names wins...(Of course my wife won and I had to buy her a tunasandwhich!) Both of us were surprised at the ‘internationaliztion’ ofthe schools public faces.

Internationalisation is a clumsy word used to describe a wide range of activities, some of which we should be very proud of, and others best left in the shadows. But first, we need to dispose of the rhetoric. The overwhelming majority of universities were established as national institutions– for example, the big civic universities here in Britain and the land-grant universities in the US. They were not spontaneously created somewhere in the international ether.

What are the drivers for what we are seeing; the pressure to recruit international students, almost entirely because they can be charged higher fees is the number one. Second is the drive for geopolitical and commercial advantage. Third is global positioning.

What are we telling a prospective student who is looking for a global education? As educators what are we looking for from the international community building effort going on in most of the campuses?

04/26/2009

Thanks for all the support. You all supported me, we collected lots of money for the foundation and St Josephs foundation awarded me with a cool watch for my efforts. Thanks guys and girls. Appreciate.

After the race, I took a break. Had few things on my plate. Wanted to finish the project I was doing for McMaster University Physicians researchers, had to spend all my weekends at the hospital. My mum was not happy with my studies, and I was falling back with my intense practice sessions.

03/29/2009

Two Kenyans captured the top spots in today's Around the Bay Race. St. Joseph's
Healthcare Foundation fundraiser hit $125,000 to benefit the
hospital. Thomas
Omwenga of Kenya was the men’s elite winner of the Around The Bay Race
today, finishing the marathon in 1:35:29 in a steady rain. Lucy Njeri,
also from Kenya, repeated her triumph of last year by winning the
women’s elite race in 1:49:34.

I clocked a good time. Very close to my best so far. The track was wet, it was raining and not flat. 9000 participants over all...1600 for 5 K. I came well within the top 1/4 over all. Among the boys (if I am any longer considered a boy) I would be ranked 23rd.

03/21/2009

The results of the raffles are finally in! This evening, I got assistance in pulling out the two names of our lucky winners for our raffles. Nandini, Gayatri, and Aswathi Nair were willing to pull the names out of security's sake.

03/19/2009

The most discussed topic in Canadian media for last one week is not economy, not the state of our health care or global warming...But, it happened to be our science minister's comments. Interesting.

When asked by a Globe and Mail science reporter, Canada’s Minister of State for Science and Technology wouldn’t say if he believed in evolution.

I thought it is Interesting, not the comments, but obsession of readers/listeners on this topic of evolution and design, and the spirit of writers in the print, web, visual media, all again discussing this topic, may be 1000th time in last few months.

I am posting two articles from the National Post, opinions from Kay and John Moore.

I am not in this debate, mind you, but am quite intrigued by the thoughts on old age, God, and evolution. I am not a big fan of Libertarians like John Moore, nor the conservatives like Jonathan Kay. But, when a belief becomes blind and moves on to become a faith, in anything, it will kill ones passion, and destroy ones spirit of inquiry. This applies whether you are a believer in God or an atheist.

Tomorrow, 20th March, Friday, 7.44 AM. it will be spring again. And in 24 Hrs Julia Roberts will hit Canadian theaters...with her new movie Duplicity.My dad is looking forward for both for quite a while.

I was running today at the Bay Front Trail. The trail was quite live. Skaters, runners, people roller blading. And loud too from the birds announcing that they are back. I forgot to take bread crumbs for the Goose.

It is going to be quite beautiful, this week end.

I have some pictures posted here. I request you all to come out and run and get ready for the Bay Race.

Films on Aging

Eva Sereny: Foreign StudentParis, 1955. Philippe Leclerc is overjoyed: he has just been granted the fellowship he applied for and he will be able to study for a year at the prestigious Asheland-Stuart University of Virginia. Once on the spot, he discovers how different the South of the USA is from his native France and the period of adjustment is no bed of roses, notably when he mistakes American football for soccer while playing a game and becomes the laughing stock of the college. Philip nonetheless gains the friendship of the captain of the team and gradually adapts to his new environment, discovering American literature through the lectures of a fascinating professor, rock and roll and jazz, among other things.

F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonAdapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century. It follows the life of Benjamin (Brad Pitt), who is born with the appearance and physical limitations of a man in his eighties. Abandoned in a nursing home by his father, Benjamin begins aging backward. While in the home, he meets Daisy (Cate Blanchett), a young aspiring ballerina. As the film progresses, the two fall in love, while struggling to deal with the issue of one growing younger while the other grows older.[2]

A Song for MartinA Swedish movie; Martin is a conductor and composer; Barbara, a violinist. Meet and marry in middle-age, but they find out that Martin has Alzheimer's disease.

Firefly DreamsThis Japanese film tells the story of Naomi (Maho), a troubled teenager sent to the country for the summer to care for an aging neighbor with Alzheimer's disease.

The SavagesLaura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman play siblings in this tragic comedy about adult children caring for a parent with dementia.

Away from HerIn Away From Her, Julie Christie was Oscar-nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of Fiona, a woman with Alzheimer's who voluntarily enters a long-term care facility.

The Straight StoryThroughout The Straight Story, 73-year-old Alvin Straight gazes calmly at the night sky, as if the stars were reflections of his own memories, while traveling Iowa to Wisconsin on lawn mower.